Mansfield's best kept secret

A few weeks ago, students may have run into a woman handing out homemade cupcakes and talking about a store she owned. While it may have seemed odd, this advertising tactic was something only a mother would have come up with. While a flyer would have been more practical, the personal, and thoughtful cupcake was the best way to represent the Mansfield General Store.

Owned by sisters, Keleigh Shumbo and Lisa Rich, the Mansfield General Store is a unique and quirky place that almost can't be described in words. Unfortunately, the store is barely by the UConn community.

"I'm upset that I'm just finding out about this place now," said Sarah Tostevin, a 7th-semester communications major. "It's so cozy, I could stay here all day."

This cozy feel is no accident. Shumbo and Rich took over the store in January 2008, and have been putting their tender love and care into it ever since.

"Every night for the first few months we would work late to paint, rearrange things and clean," said Shumbo.

With no other employees besides family members and an occasional E.O. Smith work study student, the store is a genuinely family-run business that Shumbo and Rich have put endless hours of work into. It is this work and dedication along with the presence of family that sets the Mansfield General Store apart from others.

"We want to stay different," said Shumbo. "We can't compete with Starbucks, Subway or McDonalds, so the best bet is to just stay with a completely general store-like feel. Staying unique is what keeps us going."

This uniqueness is prevalent throughout the store. Antique pieces on the walls, knick-knacks scattered throughout, and dining tables with doilied tablecloths, give the place a "grandmother's home" feel. Looking around, one can tell that every object was put in a place for a reason, and personalized touches such as Uno cards at the table, give you a comforting feeling that is usually absent in chain stores and restaurants.

The Mansfield General Store is also distinctive in it's compatibly and the way it caters college students. The homemade frozen dinners that are prepared in the store, not only allow students to enjoy a homemade meal, such as chicken pot pie, without having to go home or spend hours in the kitchen. They also portray the thoughtfulness and diligence that Shumbo and Rich put into the store to make customers feel at home.

Along with the frozen meals are breakfast and lunch items that can be ordered and eaten in the store. These menus include the typical breakfast and lunch items, with a few highlights like the $3.50 breakfast sandwich, which is certainly budget friendly, and the new paninis that have recently been added to the menu.

To add even more convenience to a busy college schedule, Mansfield General Store has a delivery option and food can be brought to your apartment or dorm room for a two-sandwich minimum, which is ideal during the weeks where the school work seems never ending.

Anyone who is sick of the library and needs a new place to get work done can benefit from the free wireless Internet and a calming atmosphere. With couches and few distractions, the store is an ideal studying spot. Not to mention that the food and coffee will easily trump what Bookworms has to offer.

According to Shumbo, additional couches are going to be added in the next couple of months and they will transform a section of the store into more of a café-like atmosphere where people can come to study, relax or enjoy of cup of coffee.

The store is open seven days a week and Rich, who is a singer/songwriter and guitar player, wants to incorporate her passion for music into the store on the weekends. There is an outside picnic area with a raised platform for outdoor performances, which is open to any student or local musician who is interested in performing their music.

"We also have an early 1900s upright piano that is always available for anyone to come in and play at anytime," added Shumbo.

Labeled as a general store, it is assumed that there are the store's variety of items available. Mansfield General Store exceed that quota having everything from fresh cut flower bouquet, to jewelry and a wide assortment of antiques. General needs such as Band Aids, Chapstick and grocery items also fill the shelves. "If you are creative enough, you could find a gift for anyone here," said Shumbo.

It's hard to believe that a single store can contain such a plethora of different activities, foods and items; but what is even more shocking is that a place like this has gone unnoticed for so long. Just a few minutes off-campus on Storrs Road. Mansfield General Store is a great resource for UConn students, and is a place that should start being noticed.